You know over the course of a lifetime things or statements stick with you. I remember in one of my first college literature classes, my teacher, Betty Sellers, would theme many of our readings as “life moves on”.

I remember my college tennis coach saying keep it down the middle when times were not going great in a match. I also remember sitting in a forage class as a young agent and listening to Dr. Carl Hoveland tell a room of cattle folks that they were grass producers first and cattle producers second.

Recently, at one of our Red Carpet Cattlemen’s Association Meetings, the guest speaker from Dow AgroSciences reinforced that grass producer theme with our group.

As feed prices soar, it is becoming more and more important for farmers that utilize pastures to take better care of their land and manage more quality forages to feed their animals.

Ideally, you want your grazing based animals and livestock to feed themselves on quality pasture than the producer having to supplement their diet. The more they graze the more positive it can address your ability to make a profit.

Today, I would like to share information on an upcoming workshop for our horse community in the NW Georgia area.

The neat thing about the group of UGA County Extension Agents in Northwest Georgia is that we all have our different areas of expertise and we work very well together. Over the last several years, we have group organized and hosted many successful programs.

On August 27, Bartow County Extension will be the host county for our group Equine Pasture Management Workshop. Agents from the counties of Floyd, Paulding, Polk, and your own agent from Gordon County will support this meeting.

Our guest speaker will be Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Forage Specialist. Dennis is no stranger to Northwest Georgia due to his regular participation in forage classes in the area.

Dr. Hancock is one of the leading forage experts in the Southeastern United States. You don’t want to miss out on this workshop.

The meeting will start in the Bartow Extension auditorium at 6 p.m. and the workshop will conclude at 9 p.m.

The first topic will be a discussion on grazing and pasture management. The fall is a great time for you to re-establish those cool season grasses. The last few summers has really done a number on grasses such as fescue and has left many pastures in need of repair. Plus, we always need some reminders on how to make the most out of our forages.

There will also be a presentation on soil fertility and nutrient management for pastures. You have to keep your pastures functional.

Again, our goal is to have the animals feed themselves and for them to thrive with you doing little supplementation. The final topic of the evening will be a section on EQUIP and Farm Bill Conservation Programs available.

The evening will conclude with a question and answer session. As you can see there will be a lot happening in the three-hour workshop. Cost of the event is $10 per person. You need to get pre-registered soon.

I can gladly email you the registration form or you can stop by the Gordon County Extension Office for a form. You registered through Bartow County Extension. Don’t delay on getting registered. If you have questions on the workshop, you can email gbowman@uga.edu or call Gordon County Extension at 706-629-8685.